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Finding the Right Career-Fit

How to Determine Career-Fit: A Guide for People with Disabilities

Embarking on a new career is an exciting, challenging and sometimes terrifying prospect and, regardless of your level of ability, finding the right fit requires research and patience.

Three Main Factors in Choosing Employment

The type of disability you have: This will provide you with insight on what type of jobs will best open doors for you. While you should try not to limit yourself and your possibilities, it is still wise to consider the impact of your abilities on the career you would like to pursue.

Your background: What are your qualifications and what are you knowledgeable about? What skills do you have? Can you work well with your hands? Are you good at building things? Are you analytical? These are just a few things that will give you a clue as to what you can do.

Interests and passions: What do you like and are passionate about that you can see yourself doing as a career? If it doesn't make you happy, then does it really make sense for you to pursue it?

It is up to you to look at the factors above as well as your own personality and decide what is best for you. In addition to that, you can keep the following in mind as well.

Narrow Down Your Career Choice to the One that Fits You

What are your qualifications?Review your knowledge base and what you are qualified for in relation to what the job requires. Looking through various job boards can help with this by giving insight into the types of jobs available.

Which companies are most forward-thinking and accessible?Be sure to research companies in the industry you have chosen to determine their accessibility. This will be a guide for you in knowing which companies to spend your energy on doing additional research for a particular job.

Can you telecommute or work from home?Be sure to look deeply into your companies of interest to find out their options for working from home or telecommuting. Depending on your disability, this may eliminate multiple barriers to employment.

Enlist the help of a mentor.If you know someone who is currently working with a disability, talk to them and find out what their career search experience was like and what, if any, obstacles they encountered. Whether their abilities are the same as yours or not, they will be sure to have useful insights that will help you in your search.

Review websites designed for persons with disabilities

There are many websites, both private and government, that are geared towards assisting persons with disabilities. Be sure to review these for tips and job options. The information on these sites is ideal for you and will be a tremendous help in your search.

What are your passions?

Just like anyone else, the best thing to do when choosing a career is to look at what you love to do, what makes you happy and what you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life. If you have a knack for doing something very well and it makes you happy, that is a clue that it is worth thinking about as a career. Be sure to consider these with your particular type of disability in mind to ensure that it is indeed the right fit.

Determining career path is no easy task; it requires a focused mind and a determined individual. Keep these tips in mind and you will be well on your way to making the right career choice.